Hi all...just posted this at Cruise Chat too. Want to know if it is better to book a cruise a year ahead, or is it more money and should I be booking a few months before cruising to get a better last minute rate.
Also, do you think that the cruises are becoming more expensive? I heard that they are about 20% higher than last year! What do you all think?

Hi Tova Natasha - got to agree with u that cruises are getting more expensive and will again next yr too (as long as the economy stays strong that is). I wld and always do book as far in advance these days as possible - best rates - u can always keep an 'eye' out for discounting (or get your TA to do it for u ) as time progresses. It used to be better to wait 'cause they had trouble filling ships but not anymore..Hope this helps & happy cruisin'!

Yes, they are more expensive. After 9/11 tourism including cruising went to all time low numbers forcing the cruiselines to lower rates to lure passengers. Tourism including cruising is now on the rise (a healthy thing). I agree that booking early enough to get the early booking discount is a good idea. I've found that waiting now is not a good idea because the price often goes up, esp. if you need/want a certain type of cabin. We travel with young children so need a cabin that accommoadates 4, and those book fast and hence tend to get more expensive. You can usually get the early booking discount from 6-9 months before the cruise, I'm not sure if it's a bigger discount if you book a year in advance.

I just booked a cruise for April 2005 three weeks ago. Already it's $40/pp more now than what I paid for it. I try to book as early as possible and then just watch the prices. If they come down before final payment is due my TA gets me the credit.

We have had a cruise booked for over a year, and I just checked what the same cabins are going for now, and they have gone up $140 per person, and that is only for a 3 day cruise so yes, they are going up. Book early is the best bet.

We're done it both ways - same ship (Voyager), same month (June), same cabin category (balcony) and here's what we experienced: For our 2003 cruise we booked 11 months in advance and paid $430/night total cruise cost (for 2 people minus trip insurance and airfare), which I thought was a good price after extensive research; for our 2004 cruise we booked 4 months in advance and paid $412/night. We were lucky to get the cabin we wanted this time, and if you are not picky about cabin location (we are) and are conveniently located to get to the embarkation port on short notice (we're not) then last-minute booking might be your cup to tea. There are some interesting looking web sites that advertise some great looking deals. Hope this helps with your decision making.